Dom-Rivers 0 #1 October 7, 2004 Hi everyone. I was just wondering what other people's experiences are of AFF1. I went for my first jump last Saturday. I felt confident and relatively calm. Got to the door, jumped out and then it all went horribly wrong! I rushed all my drills and couldn't find the toggle to pull. One of the instructors pulled it for me. The ride down to the DZ was full of bad language from me. I was just so annoyed at not having done a perfect jump. Even worse, I hadn't pulled the cord... someone else had to do it for me. I spent the rest of the day (the jump was at 0930) feeling really grumpy. The fact that I didn't enjoy it (because I didn't do a perfect jump) annoyed me even more, and I got more grumpy. It was only about 8 hrs later that I started to be glad that I'd done the jump at all (that's after I'd said I'd never do it again) I can't tell you how angry I was with myself... not a shred of enjoyment I'm going again this weekend. How many other people don't enjoy their first jump?Never, ever, ever, ever, ever give up! (Winston Churchill) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyangel2 2 #2 October 7, 2004 Hang on there, it's called sensory overload. Happens to the best of us. If I was to show you my student log book you would laugh. At one point I had my JM's drawing straws so the loser would have to sit me down and tell me to give up the sport. You didn't learn to walk, ride a bike, or drive a car over night. Practice, practice, practice. Even after you get hundreds of jumps, remember, we all have a bad day.May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PrairieDoug 0 #3 October 7, 2004 QuoteI can't tell you how angry I was with myself... not a shred of enjoyment I'm going again this weekend. Why? Skydiving is about more than just having fun, but if you're not having fun the other benefits aren't worth it. This sport isn't for everyone. If it's not for you, find something else that totally energizes your spirit and go for it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dom-Rivers 0 #4 October 7, 2004 Why? Now that I know what to expect, I think I'll do better. I'm pretty sure that I'll enjoy it once I'm confident that I can do it safely.Never, ever, ever, ever, ever give up! (Winston Churchill) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bigway 4 #5 October 7, 2004 i signed on to a diploma course and paid up front for 200 jumps before i even did one, let alone a tandem. @ things got me through level one...i jumped after my best mate so there was no way i could not do it and the other was i had just paid for 200 jumps. I found myself on level three freaking out, sittin on the ride to alttitude thinking, okay i have done this twice why do i need to do it again? anyway, just breath and relax. remember it feels like you are floating, do not rush anything, 40 seconds, is quite some time when you are falling out of the sky. .Karnage Krew Gear Store . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
windcatcher 0 #6 October 7, 2004 I spent the rest of the day (the jump was at 0930) feeling really grumpy. The fact that I didn't enjoy it (because I didn't do a perfect jump) annoyed me even more, and I got more grumpy. *** hey dude, relax! No one is forcing you to jump, so if you dont get enjoyment out of it then why do it? On the other hand, dont get discouraged just because you didnt perform as well as you expected to. I sometimes get discouraged if my jumps dont go perfectly, because I want to be a really good flyer. If you really want to do jump, because it's FUN, than go for it! Things will get better as you get more experience, as Im sure everyone on here will tell you.Let us know how it goes... Mother to the cutest little thing in the world... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dom-Rivers 0 #7 October 7, 2004 Wow, 200 jumps! That's a big step! (no joke intended) 40 seconds felt like no time at all. I felt relaxed on the ride up... just not on the ride down! The weird thing is that that evening I started to feel really excited that I'd done it, and I wanted to go again. I wouldn't go again if I didn't think I'd enjoy it. I'm going on Saturday and I can't wait.Never, ever, ever, ever, ever give up! (Winston Churchill) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
President 0 #8 October 7, 2004 I'm not really qualified to give any advices but I think I can share my experience - it is quite fresh as you can see from my jumps. I think the most important you didn't wet your pants at the door and got out. Second, also important - even tho things got "terribly wrong" as you say, you still don't wet your pants and gonna go do it again. As to having fun, I for one was so busy with those TLOs that didn't have any fun at all - felt like one of those drills in the Army. You know we got to do some pretty exciting stuff - like driving APCs (armored personnel carriers) and tanks. And what ? Sergeants took all that fun away by turning it into a sweatshop drill. Only on my 5th jump I was finally HAVING FUN !!! Oh, and I screwed up my L4 and L6, both of which I had to redo. Doesn't matter - each jump is fun anyway, fuck the TLOs. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dom-Rivers 0 #9 October 7, 2004 President, I know exactly what you mean about the army... been there, done that. I thought shooting guns was meant to be cool and fun.Never, ever, ever, ever, ever give up! (Winston Churchill) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nightingale 0 #10 October 7, 2004 hehe... www.nightingalesnest.net I didn't find my hackey first time either. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bigway 4 #11 October 7, 2004 try this..close your eyes on take off and feel the motion of the plane.On the ride up to alttitude close your eyes and visulise what you are going do on the jump. go through the motions without moving but with your eyes closed. This might relax you when the door opens. a little secret i have is... i got a theme song. When the door opens i let the wind ckear my goggles and then put them on. At this point the a-team song starts going through my head and i do my finger clicks with my buddys, and then jump, and fucking love everything about it!!! Good luck mate, do not listen to everyone who is saying if you do not enjoy it don't do it because it is obvious you are doing this for a reason, it might take you a couple more jumps to find your place in the sky but don't give up until you know it is not for you. Peace. .Karnage Krew Gear Store . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sunshine 2 #12 October 7, 2004 It's ok that it didn't go as planned. You wanna do it again, so do it!! Talk to your instructors and tell them how you feel. They will be wonderful and patient with you. Trust me, you're not the only person that has had a "not so perfect" jump. ___________________________________________ meow I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snowbird 0 #13 October 7, 2004 I'm in no way intending to sound negative, but I'm an admitted perfectionist who did 12 paper pulls during IAD so I'm allowed to say... If you expect that every jump will be 'perfect'... HAHAHAHAHAHA Go. Jump. Expect that you will not perform 'perfectly' on every jump. Expect that you will learn tonnes on every jump. Expect that you will have some amazing experiences that are thrilling and inspiring, and a few that will piss you off. Most of all, go have fun. But if you expect yourself to do something this unfamiliar, while your brain is in overload, in a basically alien environment, in 4 minute increments, and do everything perfectly? You'll be disappointed. Go Have FUN! No one expects perfection until at least your 5th jump. j/k Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. -Robert A. Heinlein Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chaoskitty 0 #14 October 7, 2004 You rushed your drills.. I specifically remember going through the dive flow with my instructors and in my head before AFF jumps, thinking theres no way I will have time to do all this! My instructors were saying.. relax.. you've got time to do it twice! And they were right. It is sensory overload, and nervousness. You are right to be nervous.. but you have to understand that not every jump will be perfect. While you are a student, focus on the basics until they feel natural.. and then still focus on them, for thats what will save your life. One of my favorite things to do is to dive out after a base and swoop in to my slot. I hadnt done that in a while, so last weekend I ended up going low on the base TWICE. Pissed at myself for wasted skydives.. particularly when I *know* how to swoop in.. but thats just the way it goes sometimes. If its not you messing up the skydive, its someone else.. you just have to learn from every jump and carry on! Good luck with AFF! Relax and enjoy yourself! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ifall 0 #15 October 7, 2004 I know how you feel. I'm doing the tandem progression thing and on level 3 I was done with all my drills by 10,000 and I did them again, asked the instructor afterwards if that was ok and he didn't mind at all. But, on my level 4 I forgot practice touches and forgot to wave off. I felt like a bumbass!!! So, next weekend I will start off on level 5 and all week long I've been going over it in my head. I've also been caught a couple times doing my emergency procedures too because I've been just drilling them into my head. I've been having so much fun though on my jumps. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Icon134 0 #16 October 7, 2004 Jump 2 was like that for me... except I pulled my own pud... but I felt like i rushed everything else... (my JM noticed it too) I did 3 and 4 the same day and they went a lot better. don't worry it happens to everyone... just don't die at the end of the jump and everything will work out fine. ScottLivin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jumpinfarmer 0 #17 October 8, 2004 Hey don't feal bad, just try again. I hated my first jump, a tandem, but after a few days it sunk in that I had done the best thing of my life and was to stupid to realise it. The next week I was in AFF. Now I still beat myself up after I screw up a jump, but I always have fun. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Reginald 0 #18 October 8, 2004 QuoteGot to the door, jumped out and then it all went horribly wrong! You jumped, you lived! It's a good start! Trust me on this, at 1,000 jumps you won't have "perfect" jumps. There is always something to improve on in this sport. Take it in stride and enjoy yourself. Most importantly SMILE in freefall. It really does help! "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dreamsville 0 #19 October 8, 2004 The biggest thief of enjoyment in the sport is yourself, not others. If you know you can do what you need to do, then carry on and don't give up. You're learning even when you think you aren't. I've had challenges learning moves for RW, sit-fly, and head-down, and have though of quitting a couple of times. Allow yourself to feel positive. The worst of us can often get better and have good jumps, and it will feel so much more the better! Read this: " He failed in business in '31. He was defeated for state legislature in '32. He tried another business in '33. It failed. He had a nervous breakdown in '36. In '43 he ran for congress and was defeated. He tried again in '48 and was defeated again. He tried running for the senate in '55 and lost. The next year he ran for Vice President and lost. In '59 he ran for the senate again and was defeated. In 1860, this man, Abraham Lincoln, was elected the 16th President of the United States of America." Whether you jump with friends or alone, ultimately, you are the one who must allow himself to accept the challenges and the sweetness of the sky. Just about everyone's "been there". 'Nuff said. |I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ruskin 0 #20 October 8, 2004 Good luck mate, do not listen to everyone who is saying if you do not enjoy it don't do it because it is obvious you are doing this for a reason, it might take you a couple more jumps to find your place in the sky but don't give up until you know it is not for you. Regarding your above comment - Thank Goodness I've finally seen someone say this. I have posted in the training forum recently as I'm struggling on AFF. I did 27 static line jumps previous to AFF then have done 6 AFF jumps but only passed levels 1,2 & 3. I have been in the sport for 2 and a half years so it really annoys me when people say that the sport may not be for me. Just cause I'm scared shitless at the moment does not mean that the sport is not for me. As you say, people must be doing this for a reason! The reason is that i loved it once but have just got frightened due to a bad jump but one day i know I can love it again. Your comment was well said! Obviously the sport is not for everyone but people usually know after only a few jumps if it isnt. When I've been training for 2 and a half years it annoys me when people think its not for me. I will never give up! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mattjw916 2 #21 October 9, 2004 Dude, the only bad skydive you will have, is the one you don't walk away from... lighten up a bit and things will go smoother. There's no such thing as a "perfect jump" anyway; there is always room for improvement.NSCR-2376, SCR-15080 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nate_1979 9 #22 October 9, 2004 Quote Regarding your above comment - Thank Goodness I've finally seen someone say this. I have posted in the training forum recently as I'm struggling on AFF. I did 27 static line jumps previous to AFF then have done 6 AFF jumps but only passed levels 1,2 & 3. I have been in the sport for 2 and a half years so it really annoys me when people say that the sport may not be for me. Just cause I'm scared shitless at the moment does not mean that the sport is not for me. I sometimes told myself that the sport wasnt for me, but something kept me coming back.. I was usually so freaked out that for my first 10 solo's I didnt even do a single back flip or anything, suddenly it just clicked, I relaxed, and now I do all kinds of stupid crap and have a blast.. I'm glad I didnt listen to myself or anyone else who may have said "sport not for me". I'd really be missing out now FGF #??? I miss the sky... There are 10 types of people in the world... those who understand binary and those who don't. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ruskin 0 #23 October 9, 2004 [in reply to]I sometimes told myself that the sport wasnt for me, but something kept me coming back.. I was usually so freaked out that for my first 10 solo's I didnt even do a single back flip or anything, suddenly it just clicked, I relaxed, and now I do all kinds of stupid crap and have a blast.. I'm glad I didnt listen to myself or anyone else who may have said "sport not for me". I'd really be missing out now Yeah thats how I am, really scared at the moment but just can't bear the thought of life without skydiving. It's nice to hear that other people have struggled and then made great skydivers cause it gives me hope. You read so much on this forum about great skydivers been rubbish students so I think the main thing a student should have is dedication and determination to fulfil their dream. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bigway 4 #24 October 9, 2004 The key to it all is to relax in freefall. What is there to be scared of? you have already decided to jump out of a pane and fall to earth at 120mph. Since you have decided you are going to do this and take on the risk, why on earth do you need to worry about it now? in short...if you are in freefall relax because if you Have taken the risk or challenge on, now enjoy it cause it is to late to get back in the plane. you will find your skydives will go alot better when relaxed. If you are all tense you will have trouble with your spins and flips. Enjoy, people, this is skydiving!. We were all crap when learning, there will always be the star of your class who never failed a jump but as long as you listen to your jump master, do the ground work and go through the dive in your head, you know the jump, you have nothing to worry about, well if you want to worry, leave it until after you have pulled, because if your chute comes out it would have been a waste of a jump if all you did was worry Good luck all you students, but do know it is sfae to be nervous, this way you will always do your gear checks. .Karnage Krew Gear Store . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeryde13 0 #25 October 10, 2004 get he sim manual and read it and learn it bro. more practice on the ground and in the harnesses. very important to breath danielson, don't forgrt to breath. you being mad at yourself is cool because it means you you give a fuck about doing things right.....but let the anger go when you breath out. maybe you could ry a tandem to relax a bit more....or try a different instructor or dropzone if upon reflexon you feel you didn't get the proper ground training..... you should be alright though.......lot of new shit to start diving though ain't it........ it gets better....a whole lot better._________________________________________ people see me as a challenge to their balance Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
